Machine for filling containers



Oct. 12, 1943. v. G. WILLIAMS 'MACHIJE FOR FILLING coNTAI NERS Filed May29, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

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Oct. 12, 1943. l V, G; WILLIAMS 2,331,58'15,h

v MAHINE Fon FILLING CONTAINERS Filed Nay 29, 1941 4 sheets-sheet 2 V.G. WILLIAMS MACHINE Fon FILLING CONTAINERS Oct. 12, 19437.

Filed May 29, 1941 a 64 sa 42@ 65153 59 40M 56 fifa J i Oct, v12, 1943.V. WILLIAMS MACHINE FOR FILLING CONTAINERS Filed May 29, 1941 4Sheets-Sheet 4 UTI @enfer V. G. WwLHams v Patented Oct. 12, 1943 MACHINEFR FILLING CONTAINERS Victor G. Williams, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,assignor to Delamere and Williams Limited, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaApplication May 29, 1941, Serial No. 395,771

17 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for lling contalnersand moreparticularly to powder filling machines in which the powder iscompressed in the container and my object is to devise an improvedmachine of this character which is more eflicient andsmoother inoperation than those heretofore in use.

The construction is hereinafter fully described and is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of my machine;

Fig. 2 a. front elevation thereof;

F1Fig. 3 an end view of the right hand end of Fig. 4v an end view of theleft hand end of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 a-detail in plan of a carrier showing the pivoted arm thereonswung from one position to its other position while the carrier is beingmoved along a guide;

Fig. 6 a detail in front elevation of some of the parts of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 a cross section of the pivoted arm, carrier and guide;

Fig. 8 a cross-sectional detail in full size of part of the machineshowing a container being filled;

Fig. 9 a sectional detail in full size of the dies for compressing thepowder in the container;

Fig. 10 a plan view of part of a hopper on an enlarged scale with itsupper stationary ring partly broken away to show the scraper and flasksin the bottom of the hopper;

Fig. 11 a plan view of the drives; and

Fig. 12 a front elevation of the hopper drives.

In the drawings like numerals of reference in.- dcate correspondingparts in the different figures.

I is the frame of the machine which is suitably shaped to carry thevarious parts. The containers 2 to be filled are inserted in openings 3in carriers 4. Each carrier is provided with an opening 3 and thecontainer 2 may be inserted either manually or by any suitable automaticdevice, indicated at 5, for feeding containers one by one into theopenings as the intermittently operated carriers 4 come to rest at therear right hand corner of the frame. At a succeeding stop of thecarrier, the container 2 is pressed downwardly in the opening by asuitable press 6 until the upper open end of the container is positionedcorrectly relative to the upper surface of the carrier 4. The carrier isa'dvanced in a guide I along the rear side of the frame, then in a guideIl along one end of the frame, then in a guide 'Ila along the front sideof the frame, where its container receives two or more charges ofdifferent kinds of powder from hoppers 8. The hoppers are spaced apartto discharge apredetermined amount of each kind of powder successivelyinto the container when it comes to rest adjacent each hopper. Thecarrier next comes to Iest between oppositely directed presses 9 and I0which are adapted to engage the powder in the container and the lowerend of the latter, respectively, to compress the powder without applyingany pressure to the frame of the machine. The container illustrated is abullet casing having a thin cylindrical metallic capsule 2a therein, thebottom of which rests on a metal insert 2b placed in the nose of thebullet casing. The container 2 is subsequently ejected from the carrierby a press II which may be located on the right hand end of the guide1b. .The carrier is then advanced along the guide 'Ic vat the other endof the frame to receive another container and to complete the cyclealong the guides 1, 1a, 'Ib and 1C.

The carriers 4 are rectangular in plan and are advanced along pairs 0fmetal strips 'Id which extend parallel to one another at the oppositesides and ends of the frame. The opposite edges of the carriers 4 areengagedby pairs of strips 'Ie to prevent lateral displacement of thecarriers. The upper sides of the carriers are engaged by pairs of stripsIf forming caps for the strips 1e except at convenient places such asthe corners whereby any carrier may be removed and re` placed at suchplaces. The guide strips of metal 1d, 'Ie and 1f, forming the guides 'I,"Ia, 'Ib and 'I, are secured to pairs of brackets 'Ig which arecarriedin spaced relationship to one another on plates 'Ih which arespaced apart around the frame and secured thereto, see Figs. 1, 5, 7 and8.

The opening 3 of'each carrier 4 is preferably formed in a die 3a havinga collar 3b at its upper end which projects above the upper surface ofthe carrier, see Figs. 7, 8 and 9. On each carrier is pivoted, at I2, anarm I3 which carries a hollow guide I 4 and a funnel I5 adapted to bealternately registered with the opening 3. The bore of the guide I4 isadapted for the passage of the container 2 therethrough to direct thecontainer into the opening 3. The bore of the funnel I5 is slightlysmaller than that of the guide I4 whereby material from the hoppers 8may be directed into the container without contacting the upper edgethereof around the mouth of the container.V

To align the guide I4 or the funnel I5 with the opening 3, the collar 3bis formed as a frustoconical seat and the guide and the funnel are eachcountersunk at their lower end to t said seat as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.The funnel is provided with a depending lip I6 concentric to its boreand this lip fits into the opening 3 to ensure the material from thehopper will be directed into the container.

The pivot I2 comprises a headed stud threaded in the carrier 4. Thecarrier is bored to receive p the head of the stud and is bushed at thelower end of the bore to form a bearing on the stud. A spring I1disposed on the stud bears against the upper side ofthe bushing and theunderside of the head of the stud and tends to move the arm axially onthe stud towards the carrier. Thus the spring tends to retain thecountersunk end of the funnel I or of the guide I4 on the frusto-conicalseat 3b and this engagement between the seat 3'n and either of thefunnel or of the guide prevents the arm from swinging on the stud untilthe arm is moved axially thereon to clear the seat or collar 3b. This isaccomplished by an inclined surface I8a on a stationary part I8 overwhich the end I3 of the arm I3 remote from the funnel and guide passes,see Figs. 5, 6, 7 and l. The underside of said end I3a is provided witha round headed projection I9 which engages the inclined surface I8, asthe arm I3 is moved with its carrier 4 relative to said surface, andcauses the arm to be moved axially on its stud I2. Immediately thecountersunk lower end, of whichever one of the funnel or guide parts,that was engaged with the collar 3k' is raised clear of said collar, thefriction between the projection I9 and the inclined surface I 8a causesthe arm I3 to be swung on the stud until the other of the said funnel orguide part is in register with the collar 3b. This position isdetermined by an abutment projecting upwardly from the carrier 4 tolimit the swinging movement of the arm I3 in one direction of rotation.The projection I9 then continues to ride over the part I8 and, when itreaches the end thereof, the arm Wil1 descend to bring the countersunklower end of the said other funnel or guide part into engagement withthe frusta-conical collar 3b which centers the countersunk end thereonand locks the arm from rotary movement on the stud. The abutment 20approximately positions the guide I4 for registra- "i tion with theopening 3 when the projection I9 moves past the part IB. Since thecarriers 4 are not turned during their movement around the perimeter ofthe frame, the arm I3 will be properly positioned for engagement withanother inclined surface I8, on a stationary part |81 1ocated at theside of the machine opposite that on which the part I8 is carried, forraising the arm and swinging it to shift the guide I4 out of registerwith the opening 3 and the funnel I5 into register therewith, Anabutment 2|, similar to the abutment 2U, approximately positions thefunnel I5 for registration with the opening 3 and limits the swingingmovement of the arm I3 in the direction of rotation opposite thatlimited by the abutment 20.

Each of the hoppers 8 is secured to an intermittently driven shaft 22.The shafts are connected by a train of gears 23 one of which isconnected with a Geneva Wheel 24 which is actuated by a Geneva drivewheel 25 secured to a. shaft 26. Preferably the gears 23A rotate thehoppers in the same direction of rotation. In the bottom of each hopperare a plurality of measuring charnbers or iiasks 21 which may beremovably secured therein by any suitable means, see Fig. 8. The powderin each hopper drops into the chambers therein, and a stationary disk 28(over which the chambers rotate) prevents the powder from spilling outof the chambers until they reach a discharge opening 29 in the disk 28.To prevent the powder within each hopper above the measuring chambersfrom passing through` the chambers as they are brought into registerwiththe discharge opening 29 and to ensure all sthe contents of themeasuring chamber in register with the discharge opening beingdischarged therethrough, I provide a scraper 39 which is held fromrotation in the hopper just above the upper surface of the bottomthereof andv I provide a reciprocable plunger 3| guided in the scraperfor ejecting the material from the measuring chamber in register withthe discharge opening.

The scrapers 3U for the hoppers 8 are each formed of a flat piece ofmetal which is arcuate in plan to lie in the annular space at the bottomof the hopper. Each scraper is heldin the hopper above the dischargeopening 29 by a tubular support 32 secured to a stationary ring 33. Thelatter is provided with lugs which are secured by distance collars landbolts 34 to lugs on the stationary disk 28, Each plunger 3l is guided ina support 32 and the upper 'ends of1 ,the plungers are connected with across head 35 having depending rods 36 slidably mounted in bearings 31.The lower ends of said rods are connected by a bar 38 which isoperatedas `hereinafter described to actuate the plungers 3l and tonormally position them above the underside of the Scrapers 39 and thusclear of the measuring chambers 21. Should the powder in one or more oithe hoppers be a mixture, a plurality of lstationary blades 16 will beprovided to depend from each ring 33 into the hopper beneath it toensure an even mixing of the mixture therein.

The carriers 4 are provided with countersunk holes 39 adapted to receivespring actuated pins 4U for correctly positioning the carriers relativeto the feed device 5, the presses 6, 9 and Il), and

I I and the hoppers 8. The ipins are provided with shouldersintermediate their ends for engagement by bifurcated fingers 4I securedAto shafts 42, 42a which extend lengthwise of the machine and arejournalled to oscillate in suitable brackets 43. When the said shaftsare oscillated in one direction of rotation, the fingers move the pinsout of the path of the carriers and when the shafts are oscillated inthe opposite direction o1 rotation, the fingers permitthe springs tomove the pins into engagement with the undersides of the carrierswhereby they will move into the holes 39 to prevent the carriers fromoverrunning their advancing means.

A drive shaft 44, having .one or more motor driven pulleys 45 freelymounted thereon, is adapted to be actuated by a clutch having one member46 secured to the pulley and another member 41 feather keyed on theshaft 44. The clutch shift fork 48 is carried on an axially movableshaft 49 which isma'nually operable to engage or disengage the clutchmembers. The shaft 49 has a handwheel 50 and a pinion 5I, the latter isadapted to mesh with a gear 52 secured to the drive shaft 44 when theshaft 49 is shifted to disengage the clutch whereby the drive shaft,

may be rotated by hand. A helical gear 53 on the drive shaft meshes witha helical gear 54 on the here-inbefore described Geneva drive wheelshaft 2B and alsovwith a helical gear 55 on' a shaft X55 which extendslongitudinally of the machineaf;v right angles to the drive shaft. 'Ihegear 52 is at one end of the drive shaft and is provided with a crank.pin on which one end of a connecting rod 51 is pivotally connected.

The other end of the connecting rod is pivotally connected with asegmental gear 58 which meshes with a pinion 58 on a stub shaft 50. Thelatter has a gear 6I secured thereto which meshes with teeth on theunderside of a rack bar 52 which extends along one side of the frame Ivand is provided with pawls 63 for engaging the rear edges of thosecarriers 4 in the guide 1".

The other end of the drive shaft 44 and each end of the longitudinalshaft 56 have a` crank disk 52* secured thereto for actuating asegmental gear 58* by means of a connecting rod 51. 'I'hese three disks52, segmental gears 58, connecting rods 51* are similar to thecorresponding parts 52, 58 and 51 respectively. vThe gears ,58n meshwith pinions 55|a on stub shafts 50"- having gears 6I which mesh withrack bars 52. One of the bars 52'L extends along the other side of theframe I and additional bars 62n extend along the ends of the frame andeach of these bars is provided with pawls Iii!a for engaging the rearedges of the carriers in the guides 1, 1*l and 1. The rack bars at theends of the frame are so positioned that their ends will pass beneaththe ends of the rack bars ai; the sides of the frame. Thus the pawls onthe two end rack bars are longer than those on the two side rack bars. AY

' 'I'he four rack bars 52, 62' are similarly mounted for reciprocationand, referring to Fig. 8, it will be noted that the bar 52 has blocks 54secured to the sides thereof. The blocks are spaced apart along the barand slide on the plates 1h between the inner ends of the brackets 1K.Guide strips 1i secured to said-brackets bear against rthe sides of therack bar and overlie the blocks $4 to prevent vertical displacement ofthe rack bar. The other rack bars 62a are similarly guided.

'I'he pawls 53, G3'L are arranged in pairs along .the rack bars and thepawls of each pair are secured to the ends of a pin journalled in a rackbar. rearward extension and with a spring 64 which normally positionssaid extension against a stop -Dln 55. During the return strokes of therack bars, the pawls are thus permitted to pass under the carriers 4behind them and the stop pins 55 position the pawls for engaging therear edges of the said carriers on the next forward strokes of the rackbars. The latter move in unison to advance the carriers simultaneouslyso that the carrier which was positioned at the rear right hand cornerof Fig. l by the pawls on the right end rack bar, will be engaged by apair of pawls on the rear side rack bar and moved thereby into positionfor the press 6 to force the container 2 downwardly into the opening 3.The guide I4 has been in register with the opening 3 during the feedingof the container thereto and the pressing down of the container therein.Before the carriers leave the guide 1 at the rear side of the machine,the arms I3 are shifted by the stationary part lab to move the funnels Iinto register with the openings 3. After the carriers are moved past thefeeding and the compressing means at the front side of the frame, thearms I3 are shifted by the stationary part I8 .to move the guides I4into register with the openings 3 and thus the carriers are conditionedfor the press II to eject the containers from and the One pawl of eachpair is provided with a feeding device 5 to insert fresh containers intothe openings 3. 'Ihe oscillating shafts. 42, 42l are simultaneouslyactuated by a cam -65 on the longitudinal shaft 55, a lever 61,crankarms 68, SII` secured to said shafts, a'link 58 connecting thelever 61 and armlis, and a link 'l0 connecting the crank arms.

One or more valves or other devices 1I are used to control the operationof the presses 5, 8 and III, and I I and such devices are actuated by acam 12 also secured to the longitudinal shaft 55, and a lever 13 whichis pivotally connected with the plunger of the valve 1I l The die I Illof the press I Il is recessed to receive all of the lower end of thebullet casing 2 projecting beneath the carrier 4. To ensure the diebeing moved to its operative position, in which its upper surfacecontacts the undersuriace4 of the carrier, or of the die 3*l carriedthereby, before the punch 8 of the press 9 is moved sufficiently tocause the .casing 2 to be moved axially in its opening 3, I providesuitable means for delaying the operation ofthe press 8. The descent ofthe ram of the press 8 compresses a spring 8b Vwithin a yoke .8 which issupported by tension springs 8d from the frame of the press wherebysuicieni; fluid pressure must be built up to .overcome the springs 8b,8d before the punch will compress the powder in the casing 2. In themeantime the die IIIL has moved to embrace all the lower end of thecasing 2 depending from the carrierV so that -when the punch descends tocompress the powder there will be no danger of the walls ofthe casingbeingbulged outwardly which would occur if the die did not reach itsfinal position before the punch can apply any appreciable compressionforce to the powder. In other words, the powder should be compressed bythe punchafter the die has .come to rest and not by the die lmovingtowards the punch. The use of the double 4presses 9 and I0 removes allpressure from the frame of the machine which is important since ii; isdesired to compress the powder preferably at about forty tons per squareThe bar 38, which operates the plungers 3I for ejecting .material fromthe measuring chambers 21 into the containers 2, is actuated by a cam 14secured to the drive shaft 44. To avoid using a large sized cam orlowering the bar 38, I employ a linkage indicated at 15 fortransmittingmotion -from the cam 14 to the bar 38. This linkagecomprises two levers connected together by a link, one of the leversbeing connected with the rial to the containers while being carried bythe carriers; means for advancing the carriers intermittently andindependently of one another on the guiding means to the feeding means:means for releasably locking the carriers lrelative to the feeding meansto position the containers one by one to receive material therefrom,-thereleasably locking means comprising a plurality o f spaced apart springactuated pins each adapted to be received in a, hole in each of thecarriers: and an oscillating shaft provided with a plurality of thecontainers; means for simultaneously applying pressure to the materialin the container and to the latter to compress the material withoutapplying pressure to the machine; pressure means for ejecting thecontainer from its opening; means for releasably locking the carriersrelative to thefeeding means and to the diiierent pressure means, theSaid locking means comprising a plurality of spaced apart springactuated pins each adapted to be received in a hole in each of thecarriers; and an oscillating shaft provided with a plurality of fingersfor engaging and controlling the operation of the pins.

11. A lling machine comprising means for intermittently advancingcontainers, each container having an open mouth; means for feedingmaterial to the containers including a rotatable hopper having measuringchambers in the bottom thereof; a non-rotating disk for closing theunderside of the chambers, the said disk having a discharge openingtherethrough, the containers being adapted tn be brought seriatim' intoregister therewith; means for intermittently rotating the hopper tobring the chambers seriatim into register with the discharge openingwhen a container is in register therewith; a stationary scraper in thevhopper adjacent its bottom for cutting off communication between theinterior of the hopper and the measuring chamber in register with thedischarge opening; a plunger guided in the scraper and movabletherethrough for ejecting material from the, last mentioned measuringchamber through the discharge opening into a container; and means foractuating the plunger and for normally positioning it clear of thebottom of the hopper.

12. A filling machine comprising means for intermittently advancingcontainers, each container having an open mouth; means for feeding apowder mixture to the containers including a rotatable hopper havingmeasuring chambers in the bottom thereof; a non-rotating disk forclosing the underside of the chambers, the said disk having a dischargeopening therethrough, the containers being adapted to be broughtseriatim into register therewith; means for intermittently rotating thehopper to bring the chambers seriatim into registerowith the dischargeopening when a container is in register therewith; a stationary scraperin the hopper adjacent its bottom for cutting off communication betwenthe interior of the hopper and the measuring chamber in register withthe discharge opening; and a stationary blade depending into the hopperfor ensuring an even mixing of the mixture therein.

13. A filling machine comprising means for intermittently advancingcarriers for carrying containers having open mouths, each carrier havingan opening therethrough in which one of the containers is frictionallysupported; means for feeding compressible material to the containers,the lower end of each container projecting beneath the underside of itscarrier; a press having sure to the material in the container after thedie has been moved to embrace the projecting lower end; means forcontrolling the operation of the presses simultaneously; and means fordelaying the operation of the punch to permit full operation of the dieprior to compression of the material by the punch.

14. A filling machine comprising means for advancing carriers, eachcarrier having an opening for receiving an open mouthed container; anarm movable on said carrier and having a funnel adapted to be registeredwith the opening to direct material into the mouth of the container; andmeans for shifting the arm relative to the carrier to move the funnelalternately out of and into register with the opening.

15. A lling machine comprising means for advancing carriers, eachcarrier having an opening for receiving an open mouthed container; anarm pivoted on each carrier and axially movable relative thereto, thearm having a funnel adapted to be brought into register with the openingto direct material into the mouth of the container; means for ensuringregistration of the funnel with the opening and for locking the armpositively to the carrier during such registration; and means foraxially moving the arm relative t'o the carrier to release the lockingmeans and for turning the arm when the locking means is released.

16. A filling machine comprising means for advancing carriers, eachcarrier having an opening for receiving an open mouthed container; an

arm pivoted on said carrier andaxially'movable relative thereto, the armhaving a funnel adapted to be brought into register with the opening todirect material into the mouth of the container; means for feedingmaterial through the funnel into the container; means for ensuringregistration of the funnel with the opening and for locking the armpositively to the carrier during such registration; a stationary parthaving an inclined surface; a round headed projection on the undersideof the arm adapted to engage the inclined surface to cause the arm to bemoved axially to release the locking means and thereafter cause the armto be turned; and means for limiting the said turning movement of thearm to approximately position it for engagement with the locking meanswhen the projection disengages the said stationary means.

17. A filling machine comprising means for advancing carriers, eachcarrier having an opening for receiving an open mouthed container andhaving an upwardly extending projection concentric With the opening; anarm pivoted on said carrier and axially movable relative thereto, thearm having a funnel adapted to be registered with the opening, thefunnel being countersunk to t said projection to ensure properregistration to said funnel with said opening; and means for axiallymoving the arm relative to the carrier to cause the funnel to clear theseat and for turning the arm to move said countersunk part out of andinto register with the seat. i

VICTOR G. WILLIAMS.

